New Zealand's captain Ross Taylor (R) celebrates with compatriot Tim Southee after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Tharanga Paranavitana during the third day of the second test.

New Zealand's Daniel Flynn plays a shot

Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's captain Ross Taylor (not seen) during the second day of their second and final test cricket match in Colombo,

Kane Williamson celebrates after scoring a century

Ross Taylor celebrates his half century.

Sri Lankan bowler Rangana Herath (R) reacts as New Zealand cricket captain Ross Taylor runs between the wickets during the first day of the second and final Test.

New Zealand cricket captain Ross Taylor (R) and teammate Kane Williamson run between the wickets during the second test.

New Zealand cricketer Kane Williamson (R) is watched by Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene as he plays a shot during the first day of the second and final Test match.

Sri Lanka's captain Mahela Jayawardene shakes hands with New Zealand's captain Ross Taylor after winning their first test cricket match against New Zealand in Galle.

Sri Lanka's Tharanga Paranavitana plays a shot during the third day of first test cricket match against New Zealand.

Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath (front) holds up the ball as he celebrates taking five wickets during the third day of their first test cricket match against New Zealand in Galle.

Tim Southee swung the second cricket test back in New Zealand’s favour with some crucial late strikes against Sri Lanka in the Colombo gloom on the second evening.

Southee claimed the big scalps of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara in the third over of the innings as Sri Lanka limped to 43-3 at stumps in reply to New Zealand’s first innings of 412.

Fellow paceman Trent Boult also removed captain Mahela Jayawardene to give New Zealand hope of squaring the two-match series after a heavy 10-wicket defeat in the first test in Galle.

Southee charged in with the new ball and had immediate success as Dilshan (5) was bowled through the gate. Then Sangakkara faced just two deliveries before hooking a short-pitched offering straight to Boult at long leg.

The Northern Districts pace duo work well in tandem and Boult then got his reward as Jayawardene (4) guided a catch to centurymaker Kane Williamson at gully.

Opener Tharanga Paranavitana and Angelo Mathews will resume the rescue mission on day three with the Black Caps experiencing a rare moment of dominance on this trying tour.

Williamson (135), Ross Taylor (142) and Daniel Flynn (53) helped New Zealand rack up 412 in just over five sessions.

It’s cautious steps for this wounded New Zealand batting lineup, but at least they’re finally walking. A week after they hit rock bottom with a collapse for 118 in Galle, they showed some spine.

It was slow, sometimes painful to watch at a tick over 2.5 runs per over, but it was the cleansing this team needed after five straight test defeats. Significantly, this was the first time in nine tests New Zealand had posted 400 in their first innings.

The previous was a relative stroll in the park, 495-7 declared against Zimbabwe in Napier in January.The match isn’t won by any means, maybe not even drawn. The P Sara Oval pitch still remains docile, with a hint of turn. The game meanders along in the sapping Colombo heat.

Lapses in concentration, rather than unplayable deliveries, tend to be a batsman’s downfall. And the acid test is yet to come as New Zealand try to stave off spin whiz Rangana Herath in the third innings after he made it 17 serieswickets and joined England’s Graeme Swann as the only men to take 50 test scalps this year.

Man of the match in Galle, Herath took 6-103 off 49 overs as the Black Caps were finally dismissed in the 153rd.There was some fight shown, with left-hander Flynn the latest New Zealand batsman to step up as a mini-collapse threatened to undo the hard toil of Taylor and Williamson who added 262 for the third wicket.

Flynn displays a cast iron defence and the sort of grit cricket followers warm to. Shunted everywhere from one to six in the order, and averaging 28 from 21 previous tests, he may finally have booked his stay for the long haul. He faced 135 balls for 53 before he was ninth out, lbw to Herath.

And Flynn should remain at five after Kane Williamson erased any doubts about his spot at three. It wasn’t a happy time for Williamson after his memorable, match-saving century against South Africa at the Basin Reserve in March. His last 10 tests reaped 173 runs at 17.3; he desperately needed his third test century and he toiled hard for atick over seven hours. Taylor and Williamson departed within five overs of each other, lbw sweeping Herath. Their dismissals removed the gloss slightly and sparked a mini collapse of 4-24, with debutant Todd Astle (3) alsofooled by Herath.

Taylor batted 388 minutes and faced 306 balls in his innings, a brave fightback and a captain’s knock with his side 14-2. But he has eight test centuries and a highest score of 154 not out. A Taylor or Williamson double-century and the Black Caps were headed for an unbeatable 500.